Helpful Brainstorming TechniquesBrainstorming can help you get control of your thinking process by getting your thoughts together and out onto paper. Whether you have too much information or no information at all on your topic, brainstorming techniques can help you develop your theme, and understand your theme, producing colorful and informative writing. Brainstorming for ideas has been taught since early childhood. At five years old we were told to think of ideas for fun activities that we would like to do during summertime, or think of a list of foods we want for dinner. When we started school our teachers enforced the brainstorming techniques by asking for ideas of words that started with the letter S. Brainstorming is a centuries old concept. There are many options for brainstorming techniques. Generating ideas on your particular topic, idea or assignment is the main idea behind brainstorming. You want to get as much information written down as quickly as possible. One of the most popular brainstorming techniques is called freewriting. To freewrite, you need a pen and paper, or a computer and then you write down whatever it is that comes to mind. This can be short sentences or idea, or one word that comes to mind when you think about your topic. Give yourself a time limit, say 15 minutes to just let the word flow onto the page. Or give yourself a page limit, write down your ideas until 5 pages are full. The key to making freewriting work however is to not criticize what you have written down. Keep writing, even if you think that you are writing nonsense. If you are too self conscious and critical about what you write, the exercise will not be beneficial.
Another great way to brainstorm is to make lists. Break down your topic into several different ideas or points, and then under each idea make a list of your ideas under each topic. Remember, when you are brainstorming, no idea should be criticized. Write down whatever comes to mind.
You might also try making charts, graphs, webs or tables that can help you discover the possibilities of your topic. Write your idea down in the middle of your paper, and then add associated words around it, connecting each of them back to the main word or idea. Some people need visual aids to help them wrap around an idea.
Whatever your method for brainstorming may be, there is no wrong way. The goal is to get the thoughts and ideas out of your head and onto paper. |